


A Different Normal

by Callisto_HK



Series: A Different Normal [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Case Fic, Character Bashing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Referenc to Episode: s08e05 Dead Air
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:12:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7468533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callisto_HK/pseuds/Callisto_HK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To catch a murderer, Tony volunteered to go undercover, but things never go the way you plan. This time, though, the mishap could have been prevented. If Only...! /Set during season 8.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This one was my very first NCIS fiction! It's been so long that I myself couldn't remember the story clearly. It was first published on another site some years ago.
> 
> This story has a sequel called; "What Doesn't Kill You".

"Talk to me." Gibbs said as he walked towards his desk.  
  
"There is nothing special about Corporal Jason Bright. He is the only child of a Jack and Sera Bright. He joined the Navy when he was 18." Ziva announced. "His parents do not live here in DC; so I called his father. He said he will be here as soon as possible."  
  
"I'm still trying to figure out why he was the target." McGee followed.  
  
"He just _happened_ to be the target." Tony said from his desk, causing every head to turn his way.  
  
"Why is that?" asked Gibbs.  
  
"Well, it's still a theory, but I'm pretty sure it's true, Boss. He's been the third victim of this kind of violence. I just received a short report from DCPD and apparently it's just an accident that the third victim had been in the Navy. The other two had also been males. One, a high school teacher and the other a mechanic. They both had been found in the same area, raped and tortured to death. Their cars, also, were found abandoned out of the town; both out of order and around the area that we found Corporal Bright's car. All in all, I think this is a serial Killing we're dealing with. Reports on the other victims are on their way to here." Tony finished.  
  
Gibbs nodded."Good job. We won't decide anything until it's proved that they're related, but till then, try to figure out everything about Corporal Bright. DiNozzo, you go-"  
  
"To the other victims' houses. On it, Boss." Tony completed Gibbs' order while grabbing his coat, before walking out.  
  
...  
  
"What've you got for me, Duck?" Gibbs entered the autopsy.  
  
"Ah, Jethro. I have the reports of the other poor victims here and the more I look into them, the more certain I become that Anthony has been right. I admit I have come to the same conclusion."  
  
"So you say the pattern's the same and we really have a serial killer to catch?"  
  
"Two serial killers I would say."  
  
Gibbs looked up from the reports, waiting for Ducky to continue.  
  
Ducky showed him some pictures."As you can see, Jethro, the way these poor young men have been killed shows that they had been raped and tortured. There are obvious traces of a woman in here, but no woman, not even our dear Ziva, has the power to hit a man like this. So whoever did this, definitely -"  
  
"Had a partner." Gibbs completed.  
  
Ducky nodded in response."Looks like the Police Officers have reached a dead-end. They gave up their case pretty easily if you ask me."  
  
"That's a good thing. We're gonna catch these bastards and I'm not in the mood to share my jurisdiction." Gibbs replied as he walked out of the autopsy.  
  
...  
  
"Boss." Tony greeted when Gibbs entered the elevator.  
  
"Tell me you've got something."  
  
"I've got something." Tony grinned. "And I'll just tell you, Boss." He added when Gibbs glared at him, waiting. "The other victims have nothing in common."  
  
"That's your something?" Gibbs growled as they walked out of the elevator.  
  
"No Boss; even though that really _was_ something. Anyway, the thing is I believe our serial killers are always picking up their victims from the same road. They seem to be hiding there and wait for a man to stop in that road, which is kinda abandoned. Not many people choose that road and if someone gets stuck there, it'll be hours before someone else'd pass by them."  
  
"That doesn't prove anything, DiNozzo."  
  
"No. But I also found out that there has been two other victims that could be related to the same case. I asked a friend in DCPD for the report on all the raped victims; two of them shared the pattern with our victim."  
  
"And how's that nobody has seen it before?"  
  
"I've good eyes?" Tony grinned. Gibbs' eyebrow picked up. "These two were reported about one year ago. Their cases were in the pile of cold cases. And you know how cops could be sometimes; too many cases for them to remember all of them."  
  
"You were a cop."  
  
"I like to think that I was different with my good memory. That's part of the reason I'm here, now. Isn't it?"  
  
The corner of Gibbs mouth twitched; not denying or confirming anything. "So, five victims, same pattern. Nothing useful. That's what we've got?"  
  
"It's better than nothing." Tony shrugged.  
  
"Where are McGee and Ziva?"  
  
"I just got here. How should I know?"  
  
"Then call them and find out."  
  
"Calling them, Boss." Tony grabbed his phone. "McGee, where the hell are you?" He said as soon as McGee answered his phone. "What about Ziva?" He looked up at Gibbs and said. "They're with Abby. You want them here?"  
  
"No, I want them to spend the rest of their lives down there in the lab. Tell them to get their asses up here. The case won't get solved by itself." Gibbs growled loudly.  
  
"I bet you heard him. Get your skinny butts on the move."  
  
Less than a minute later the elevator dinged and Ziva and McGee left it.  
  
"Uh, Boss. We're checking the evidence with Abby."  
  
"We have evidence?" Gibbs queried.  
  
"Not really. The girl, the one who's clearly raped our victim; has no record or file. We could not find anything." Ziva answered.  
  
"Then what the hell were you two doing down in the lab. Go through other victims' files. Now." Gibbs ordered.  
  
"Umm, does that mean that we're sure those cases are related?"McGee asked.  
  
"No. But we don't have any better lead for now. Do it."  
  
"Yes Boss.".. "On it." McGee and Ziva said at the same time.  
  
After a few seconds, they looked up at each other. "What other victims?" Ziva expressed their thoughts.  
  
Gibbs rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going for coffee; you better have something useful when I get back."  
  
"He didn't say which victims." McGee said as the elevator's doors slipped close.  
  
Tony stood up and tossed a case file on McGee's desk and one on Ziva's.  
  
"What is wrong with _him_?" Ziva asked when Tony left the squad room.  
  
"He gets like this every now and then." McGee shrugged.  
  
"How did he find out about these guys, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, whatever you do, just don't ask him that."McGee warned.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Probably because you'd get the old 'Work smarter, not harder' answer, Zeevah." Tony said as he walked back, glaring at McGee, making him roll his eyes before getting back to the file in front of him.  
  
...  
  
Not when Gibbs got back and not even several hours later, could they find anything that would lead them to a suspect. Gibbs' patience was wearing thin. He didn't want to call it a cold case. It was just not an option; mostly because he had silently vowed to himself that he would find whoever bastard that was doing this. He looked up at his agents, Tony was going through everything for the hundredth times and was looking really thoughtful. McGee was typing on his keyboard, desperately looking for more information and Ziva was trying to find something through her contacts.  
  
"Umm, Boss. There might be a way to catch them." Tony looked up.  
  
Gibbs looked at him, waiting.  
  
"We could use a bait. Let me go there and pretend that my car is out of order. McGee and Ziva can be the back up. I checked the road's map. In each side of the road are bunch of trees, and there is an old byway not far from the main road. They could park their car there and wait for my signal."  
  
"And how could we make sure when will our suspects show up?" Gibbs questioned.  
  
"We can't. We might have to do it several nights." Tony shrugged. "But at the moment, it's the best thing we could do."  
  
Gibbs remained silent.  
  
"Come on, Boss. You know we've got near to nothing to work on. Let me go."  
  
McGee and Ziva silently waited for Gibbs to say something.  
  
"Alright. But I want updates every two hours." He looked at Ziva, who nodded. "The possibility that they'd show up the first night is slim; but be prepared for everything. Now, go home and get some sleep, be here at 8."  
  
"Yes Boss. Got it." McGee said as he and Ziva walked out.  
  
"You too, DiNozzo. Be here at 7, though. You need time to get ready."  
  
Tony nodded."OK. But I'm not tired. I don't need to go home."  
  
"That wasn't a suggestion."  
  
"Of course it wasn't." Tony stood up. "See you tonight, Boss."  
  
Gibbs nodded his goodbye as Tony walked away. He didn't like it, even though it seemed like a really good idea. His gut was warning him against it, but he wasn't sure if he had any other option at that moment. So, he just decided to make sure whatever happened, none of his people would get hurt in the process.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
... TBC ...  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

"Why is it always Tony who does the interesting job?" Ziva shifted in her seat. It was half past two in the morning and they had been there for 2 hours.  
  
McGee shrugged. "I don't know how you call waiting out there interesting. I'm happy he didn't pick me for this job. I gotta say, I was afraid he would do that."  
  
Just right then they heard Tony through the radio. "Remind me why did I speak up, exactly? This is a waste of time." He sounded tired and bored.  
  
"Oh God, this is the worst part. Sitting here and listening to his constant nagging." Ziva pushed the side of her head against the window. "I can feel a headache coming up."  
  
"I just hope it ends tonight. Imagine how terrible it could be if we have to go through this for more than one night." McGee closed his eyes.  
  
"Ah, do not say that, McGee. Even thinking about it makes my headache worse." She reached out and turned the radio off. "We should make it less painful while we can. True?" She grinned.  
  
McGee grinned back. "Right. We could even get some shut-eye."  
  
"Or we could talk about your new girlfriend." She smirked.  
  
McGee's eyes popped open. "What? What new girlfriend? I don't have a new girlfriend."  
  
Ziva giggled. "You just confirmed it, McGee."  
  
...  
  
On the other side of the trees, Tony sat down on the ground and rubbed his temple. "I should have put you out here, McClumsy. You are a better bait when it comes to cars." He growled under his breath, thinking that McGee and Ziva were still listening to him; however deep down, he knew why McGee wasn't there instead of him. He actually had thought about choosing McGee and knew he could really be the better bait, but he didn't want to risk McGee's life, in case anything went wrong.  
  
"Car trouble?" A feminine voice jarred Tony out of his thoughts. He jumped to his feet and smiled.  
  
The woman couldn't be older than thirty; she was a brunette and had a slim body. "Let me give you a lift. Take you back to my place."  
  
Tony took a quick look at her body and smiled wider. "Thanks, I'll pass. You're not really my type."  
  
She tilted her head. "I... No?" She narrowed her eyes and suddenly, she pulled a gun out and hit its butt against Tony's skull.  
  
 _'That was quick.'_ Tony thought absently in that one second that took him to clear his head from the hit and instantly he pulled out his own Sig. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned when he saw the girl pointing the barrel of her gun at him. "McGee. Ziva! Where the hell are you?" Tony said into his microphone. But nothing happened. Nothing except a sudden painful blow to his left shoulder, which threw him off balance. He blinked a few times and looked down at his shoulder with confusion. Finding a growing crimson spot on his white shirt, he deduced that he had been shot; and he was sure the girl hadn't been the one shooting him. ' _The mysterious partner.'_ He thought.  
  
"You still think you've the situation under control?" The girl grinned. "Who are you?"  
  
Instead of answering, Tony grabbed her leg and pulled her down, causing her to lose the control of her gun. Her finger twitched and another bullet hit Tony. This time it was just a graze to the right arm.  
  
"You son of a bitch." The girl growled.  
  
She and Tony both jumped for their guns, but before Tony could do anything another hot pain ran through his left leg. "Dammit. McGee...Zivaaa." he yelled, knowing that they wouldn't hear any gunshots, since they were using silencer.  
  
But the only one who showed up, was the girl's partner. "You alright, Julie?"  
  
"Yes, Math. But this jerk should be a cop or something. Search him. And be fast. It seems like he has a backup somewhere around here. Though they didn't care enough to come and help him." she smirked as she mentioned the last part.  
  
Tony, who had yet to clear his head, was hit hard in the stomach, as Math started to beat him furiously. "You don't hit a girl, you sick bastard." He hit again. "You don't pull a gun on a girl, you shameless son of a bitch." Another blow to his chest. "And you definitely don't try to ruin a psychological research." The last blow was harder, but he wasn't prepared when Tony's arm curled around his calf and brought him to the floor. Tony jumped on him and punched him hard on the face, forgetting about the pain on his right arm.  
  
Julie ran to the bag that Math had brought along and pulled out a baseball bat. Running back to where Tony was still struggling with Math, she descended it hard against Tony's head, sending his limp body to the ground.  
  
Math slowly stood up. "Go get the car. Now, Julie."  
  
"Why don't we just leave him?"  
  
"He has seen us. Besides, he's different. He fights back. I want to study this one. It'll be way better than the others. I can smell it."  
  
...  
  
The ringtone of McGee's cellphone interrupted his conversation with Ziva. He looked at the caller ID and paled. "It's Gibbs."  
  
Ziva immediately turned the radio on. "We are just 5 minutes late. Answer it. Nothing is wrong."  
  
"Uh, hey Boss."  
  
"Where the _hell_ are you. Why didn't you call?" Gibbs' shout could be heard even out of the car.  
  
"Uh, sorry, Boss. We didn't realize it was the time. Won't happen again." McGee muttered.  
  
"I can't hear you McGee when you whine."  
  
"I said that it won't happen again, Boss. Sorry. Everything's fine. We just forgot to call."  
  
There was a silence. "Wait there another 30 minutes, if the suspect doesn't show up, get back to the yard." He said and then hung up.  
  
McGee put his cell down. "What's the time?"  
  
"0307. Why does Tony not complain anymore?" She asked.  
  
"He's probably fast asleep now." McGee sighed. "We'll wait another thirty minutes. Then we can get back."  
  
"Oh, thank God. I am really hungry."  
  
The next twenty seven minutes passed in silence.  
  
"He is too quiet. Maybe we should call him." Ziva suggested.  
  
McGee looked at his watch. "Yeah, we better call him. Thirty minutes is almost over. We should get back, anyway."  
  
Ziva pulled out her cellphone and dialed Tony's number. After 4 rings it went to the voicemail. "Um. Tim. He does not answer his phone."  
  
McGee looked at her. "That just means he's asleep and has silenced his phone. Let's go and wake him up."  
  
"I hate leaving the car. It is cold out there."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
They walked through the woods and five minutes later when they finally reached the other side; they froze at the sight in front of them. There in front of them, was an obvious crime scene. Blood was everywhere around Tony's car. And worse than that; there was no sign of Tony anywhere.  
  
"O my God." McGee's knees buckled.  
  
"What have we done?"Ziva murmured.  
  
The sound of a cell phone startled them both. A few feet away, Tony's cellphone was lying on the ground, Gibbs' name was flashing on the screen.  
  
McGee reached for it, but was stopped by Ziva. "Do not touch anything."  
  
The ringing stopped and McGee's cellphone started to ring after that. He just pushed the answer button, but no words left his mouth.  
  
"McGee. Where the hell are you? Why is DiNozzo not answering his phone?"  
  
"Uh, Boss? I think we have a problem."  
  
.  
  
.  
  
... TBC ...  
  



	3. Chapter 3

"WHAT?" Gibbs shouted, jumping to his feet behind his desk.  
  
"I... I think we screwed up."  
  
"Tony is abducted. Isn't he?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you two alright?"  
  
McGee could hear the concern in Gibbs voice and it made him shudder. "We're fine." _'We're untouched.'_ he added silently.  
  
"Stay put. I'll be there in less than thirty minutes. Don't do anything stupid. You hear me, McGee?"  
  
"Yes Boss. Understood." He said and hung up. "What have we done, Ziva? How are we supposed to tell Gibbs that we're the reason Tony's gone?"  
  
"The more important question is how can we find Tony?" She looked around one more time and then sagged to the ground near a tree.  
  
.  
  
Less than half an hour later Gibbs was there, true to his words and he was followed by another Sedan.  
  
Gibbs didn't acknowledge them, when McGee and Ziva approached him. He couldn't take his eyes from the scene before him. He bent down and grabbed Tony's cellphone. Checking it, he bagged it and then put it into his pocket. "What happened?"  
  
When he didn't get any answer he looked up from the blood on the ground and at his two agents. "I asked you a question." He narrowed his eyes."You two look unscathed. Where were you when this was happening?"  
  
"I... We... Umm... We didn't hear anything." McGee stuttered.  
  
"What the hell does that mean? Is there anything wrong with the radio? Because I can tell that he didn't go down quietly. There must've been one hell of a fight."  
  
This time, Ziva spoke first. "We... We just turned the radio off for two minutes."She decided to be honest. "We thought that nothing would happen tonight and Tony would not stop nagging and-"  
  
Gibbs couldn't believe his ears."You did what?" He cut her off."You two idiots turned the radio off while you were on a backup mission? And you are telling me that this-" He pointed to the mess in front of them," Actually happened in just _two_ minutes?" He was yelling by then. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? Do you really hate your own partner that much?" He walked away furiously. Every other agent in the scene had stopped working and was looking at them dumbfounded. Gibbs didn't like to put his agents down in public, but his agents had never been so careless before either. He couldn't care less about their feelings at that moment. After all, because of their stupidity, his SFA, their partner, was missing and his fate was in the hands of two psychopathic killers. "Keep praying for him to be found in time." He said with clear disgust. "Even though it's already too late." He gestured towards all the blood on the ground. "Get the hell out of my sight. I'll decide about you two later."  
  
"Gibbs, we do not hate him. He is our friend, we love-" Ziva tried.  
  
"SHUT UP, ZIVA. I don't wanna hear anything else from you. I've heard enough."  
  
"But-"  
  
"You really have something else to add? How dare you? You say that it wasn't out of hatred. Then what's your excuse. Was that supposed to be a joke?"  
  
"We were tired."  
  
"And you think that he was partying out here?" He shouted. "Answer me! You think that he actually enjoys spending his nights in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a possible suspect to show up?"  
  
McGee looked up a little. "We didn't think-"  
  
"Exactly, Agent McGee. You didn't think. And thanks to you two, now your partner, the one who you were supposed to have his back, has to go through one of the most amazing days of his life." Gibbs stated sarcastically and closed his eyes."Take your car and get away."  
  
Ziva wasn't ready to give up. "We can help-"  
  
"You've helped enough, already, Probationary Agent David. I'm sure we can take it from here." Gibbs voice was laced with disdain."I won't repeat myself. Get away or-" He paused. "Just get out of my sight."  
  
...  
  
Bagging and tagging everything in the scene took more than two hours. Gibbs made sure that they were extra careful with Tony's car before getting back to the Navy Yard, leaving two agents to finish the work.  
  
"Leon, I want someone who I can trust to handle this; and I don't want to be out of the loop."  
  
"Choose one of the other teams. I'm sure they'd like to cooperate. Everyone here wants Agent DiNozzo back." Vance reassured. "What are you going to do with Agents McGee and David?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet."  
  
"They have been here too long. It's true that they've made a mistake; a really big one. But I think it's better if we don't fire them."  
  
"My priority is finding DiNozzo. I'll decide about them later."  
  
"Of course; OK, I'll suspend them for now. But don't make any decision while you're still angry."  
  
"What the hell, Leon? One of your best Agents is injured and missing and you want me not to be angry? Would you say the same if it was anyone but DiNozzo?"  
  
"I didn't say you shouldn't be angry, Gibbs. I'm angry, too. And unlike what you think, I know how valuable DiNozzo is. McGee and David would receive what they deserve, besides a sever reprimand to their files. I'll do everything in my power to find Agent DiNozzo, in time. You better go and start, now. Every second counts here."  
  
"You're telling me." Gibbs said and left Vance's office.  
  
...  
  
The first thing that Tony felt was the hot pain in his shoulder. He could tell that he was sitting in a chair, a hard one. So, it couldn't be his own chair behind his desk. The next thing that registered was the pain in his leg; it wasn't that bad until he decided to move it.

 _'Very bad decision.'_ He thought, and then suddenly there was the blinding pain in the back of his head. One little move of his neck and he had to bite his bottom lip hard, in order to keep the yell of pain inside. "And this one was a stupid move." he panted. Opening his eyes carefully, he took a look around without turning his head. He was in a dark, damp room. He gagged as he took a deep breath. The concussion and the smell in the air were enough to make him want to throw up, but he knew that the last thing he needed was the smell of his own puke. Let's not say how painful retching could be.  
  
"I see that you're awake." Julie opened the door.  
  
Tony looked at her."You wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask. No need to get violent."  
  
"I tried to be nice. You didn't let me."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right, sweetie. I don't date crazy bitches whose hobbies are raping people."  
  
The blow to his face wasn't unexpected. But it hurt like hell, nevertheless. More because it caused his head to turn violently and the pain in his head intensified ten times.  
  
"What? Do you always quit so fast? Don't you have anything else to say?"  
  
"I've some dinner in my stomach, from last night that insists to land on your shirt. Would you mind if I let-"  
  
Another blow. "Math, Darling... Where are you? I can't wait anymore."  
  
That sentence alone made him shiver. _'Oh God, no. No nonono.. This can't be happening.'_ Tony thought with himself, though he knew it wouldn't stop anything. He knew exactly what was about to happen and he hated himself for volunteering for a stupid mission like that. Especially since he had once been betrayed by his partners before. Back then, he hadn't considered it that important. It hadn't hurt anyone. So he had moved on without a word. He thought that it was just a joke and that they wouldn't do it when it really mattered. But obviously he was wrong. His new condition proved that apparently his supposed friends and backups didn't have any problem with leaving him all alone by himself. It didn't matter to them if he got killed during an undercover job. He shook his head inwardly, knowing that those thoughts wouldn't help him at that moment. He needed to get out of that mess to be able to confront his teammates. He was determined to get through it.  
 _'Whatever happens, I'm not gonna be the next victim. I'm a trained agent. There must be a difference between me and a high school teacher.'_ He vowed silently and prepared himself for the inevitable.  
  
...  
  
"It's just... Gibbs, there's so much blood."Abby was on the edge of tears again.  
  
"I know, Abs. But getting upset doesn't help Tony. I just have you right now. You should help me here. We can't let Tony down again."  
  
That had the expected result Gibbs was hoping. Abby straightened. "No. No. We won't let him down. We're not like Tim and Ziva. He should know that he still has people around here who care for him. We should give him a reason to trust us again. Oh, Gibbs, what if he can't trust us anymore? What if he wants to leave? What if we don't find him in time and he feels that-"  
  
"Abby… Abby!" Gibbs held Abby by her shoulders. "Don't go there. We'll find him in time and he knows that he can always trust us."  
  
"But I'm sure he thought that he could trust Ziva and McGee, too. I mean, we all thought that we could trust them." she stated angrily.  
  
"We'll talk about it later, alright? You just get through his stuff and see if you can find anything useful."  
  
"I'll do it. I'll find something. I won't stop till we find Tony. And I mean in one piece."  
  
Gibbs kissed Abby's forehead and was about to leave when Agent Harris walked in. "Agent Gibbs, I've got some good news." He was clearly delighted.  
  
"What? What's it?" Abby jumped.  
  
"You're not gonna believe this. I think luck is on our side for a change."  
  
"Sometime today, Agent Harris."Gibbs commanded.  
  
"Ah, yes. Well, a few yards away from the area that Agent DiNozzo was assaulted, we found a warehouse. More like a storage. Apparently the owner keeps something valuable in there, because we found some cameras, hidden between the trees, covering that part of the road and all around his place. We managed to find the owner and check the footage. I've got this." He gave Gibbs a tape.  
  
Gibbs smiled."Good job, Harris." he passed it to Abby. "Run it."  
  
It took Abby a few minutes to find the exact moment that they were looking for and what they saw was still shocking, despite the evidence that had prepared them. Abby wiped her eyes and looked at Gibbs, who obviously was ready to explode. Taking a deep breath, he said. "It's actually a good thing, Abby. Try not to think about what's happening to Tony in that tape. See if you can find anyone matching their appearances. Agent Harris, I want you to check out the plate and put a BOLO on it. Move. I want DiNozzo back before lunchtime." He ordered and walked out.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
... TBC ...


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't matter how hard Tony had tried or how hard he had resisted, after a while he couldn't do it anymore. There's only so much someone can take.

He was tied to a bed, the girl was all over him and the other psycho was there, sometimes taking notes, sometimes injecting him with some _only-God-knows-what_ drug and sometimes he would just hit him when the girl wasn't on him. Oh, the best part was when they were using electric shock to break Tony and make him cooperate. Maybe it was merely because they enjoyed watching Tony fight back, even with the mysterious drug in his veins, maybe it wasn't even about him and they just enjoyed seeing people break down completely. He guessed he would never really know even if he did ask. Finally, after three hours torturing, they left him alone. And broken.  
  
He wanted to scream; to yell; to shoot someone. But he couldn't do anything. He was lying there, helpless and defeated. He couldn't even open his mouth to utter a word, let alone shout. He was just too exhausted. Whatever they had injected him with had some long lasting effects; it felt like it was some kind of muscle relaxant, which had left him breathless; probably because of the heavy dosage and his scarred lungs. No need to mention what getting shocked could do to you.  
  
He couldn't believe it when the guy, - _Math, right? Yeah_ \- Math had claimed that he was a scientist and Tony was actually helping him with a big big psychology project. How could someone be that crazy was beyond him. And he sure couldn't believe them cladding him again after what they had called the first round. He was happy for the last part though; he didn't want to be naked in case anyone would come and rescue him.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to overcome the pain. He could feel that he didn't have much time left, nor much blood or strength for that matter. He knew they would be back soon, and this time might be his end. He wanted to save his energy, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the images of Julie and her disgusting voice would echo in his ears.

 _'I don't think I can have sex for the next 10 years. IF I survive this, of course. How can I do it again without seeing that bitch or hearing her voice?'_   He thought to himself. _'I'll get outta here. This will end now.'_   With that, he opened his eyes, gathering every ounce of energy, he lifted up his head and looked around.  
  
The good point was that they hadn't tied him this time. The sad point was it didn't matter that much. He couldn't move a muscle without jarring his injuries or hurting himself further. If he was being honest, he couldn't even move a finger. _'So, what? You're just gonna lie here and wait for the next round? Oh, why don't you ask her to bring Champagne and play a romantic music, as well, while you're at it. How does that sound?'_   He chastised himself angrily. But all his efforts were in vain; his body refused to receive orders from his brain. He had to lie there and wait a little longer, hoping against hope that the next round wouldn't come that soon.  
  
...  
  
"But his injuries are not life threatening, right?"  
  
Ducky remained silent for a few seconds, choosing his next words carefully; he finally answered. "I can't say, Jethro. With the injuries that young Anthony has suffered, he doesn't have much time. Getting tortured and... You know, raped won't help it for sure. I just hope this is not really the case, since- "  
  
"We found the van." Agent Geller almost ran into the autopsy.  
  
Gibbs turned around. "Is it abandoned somewhere?"  
  
"No. Actually it's parked outside a building about an hour from here. It's out of the city."  
  
"Do we have anyone around that you could send over there to have an eye on that building?"  
  
"I'll ask for that."  
  
"Good, go get Harris and meet me in the parking garage."  
  
Ducky looked at Gibbs. "I'm coming with you. There might be something I can do."  
  
"It's not safe."  
  
"It's not my first time facing danger, Jethro. If anyone is worth facing that danger, it would be Anthony."  
  
Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Then hurry up Ducky. We can't waste any time."  
  
"I'll just grab some stuff. You might want to inform Abby, as well."  
  
Gibbs grabbed his phone and called Abby while he was waiting for Ducky to grab his stuff. "Abs, have you found anything?"  
  
"No, Gibbs. It's weird. Looks like these two psycho killers have been born just yesterday. There's no record about them. Or I haven't found anything, yet. I've sent their pictures around, though. What about you? Anything?" She asked, her voice echoing as she was speaking through the speaker.  
  
"We might have some leads. Seems like the van has been found; I'm on the way to check it out."  
  
"Oh my God. Gibbs. That's great. I mean, it's... It's great... Right?"  
  
"We'll find him. I'm not gonna let him ruin my reputation." Gibbs reassured.  
  
"Bring him back, Gibbs."  
  
"Will do, Abs. Will do."  
  
...  
  
"Hell-llo, Sweetie." Julie kissed Tony's cheek.  
  
Tony opened his eyes and wrinkled his nose. "Have you ever heard of breath mint? No wonder nobody dates you."  
  
"Shut up." She hit him in his injured shoulder. Tony hissed but didn't let the yell of pain leave his mouth. He, then, closed his eyes and tried to focus on moving his hands, again nothing. "The hell did you give me?" He rasped.  
  
"Oh, I told you you're helping in a big project. That was something I made up. Don't worry, that won't kill you." Math sat down on the bed beside him.  
  
"Yeah, 'cause just looking at your ugly faces will do it before anything else." Tony grumbled.  
  
Math took his cigar out of his mouth and pushed it against Tony's arm, receiving a painful grunt from him despite all his effort to stay quiet. "Julie, Hun! Give me some minutes with him. You can come back in 15. OK? You'd think he'd have learned his lesson by now."  
  
"That's because I'm a slow learner." Tony grinned. He actually was happy. He wasn't looking forward to feeling Julie on him again.  
  
Julie backhanded him, before leaving the room.  
  
"You're hurting her feelings. I don't let anyone do that. You'll pay for it." Math roared.  
  
"You mean I haven't paid enough, already? Huh, who knew a whore was that expensive?" He chuckled, but it turned into a moan when Math grabbed him by his throat and squeezed, then hit him hard in the stomach with his elbow.  
  
"Strangling your victim? Burning? You're changing your pattern. And all for me. Man, I'm overwhelmed." Tony mocked, even though it was too hard for him to sound steady. He'd decided that if this was the end for him, he wouldn't give his captors the satisfaction of victory. He would give them hell.

Another blow to his stomach and then one to his face. The next one was a hard one though, Math brought down an iron rod to his shoulder so hard that he heard the sound of his bone breaking under the pressure of it, and he actually thought he felt the bullet in his shoulder move and tear something. The pain was more than he could take; the last thing he saw before blacking out was the rod disappearing behind Math's head. He didn't feel the pain when it hit his ribs next.  
  
...  
  
"You two, move to the back of the building. Harris, you're with me. Ducky, you stay in the car, wait for us to clear the area." With Gibbs' orders everyone moved to the building.  
  
"Be here, Tony." Gibbs prayed under his breath as they approached the front door. With his signal everyone ran inside.  
  
Outside, Julie was walking around when she saw the two Sedans stopping in front of the house. She cursed herself for not having her cell phone along, but there wasn't any time to warn Math. She quietly walked back and disappeared in the woods.  
  
"Freeze. NCIS." Gibbs yelled as he entered the room holding Tony and Math inside. Math turned around, his eyes wide in disbelief. Knowing that he didn't have any option, he let the rod fall down, and put his hands on his head. Harris moved forward and pushing the assailant down violently, he cuffed him.  
  
"Where's the girl?" He asked as Gibbs moved to Tony.  
  
"I said; where's the girl?" Harris hit him on the back.  
  
"I don't know. I swear." Math whined.  
  
The two other agents walked in. "The house is clear."  
  
"Go get Ducky. And one of you call 911. Hurry up." Gibbs ordered. "Tony... Hey, can you hear me? Open your eyes." When he didn't get any answer, he tried the other way. "DiNozzo! Wake up." he said more firmly.  
  
Again nothing.  
  
That made him worried. Ducky walked in at that moment, gently pushing Gibbs aside to check on Tony. "Oh, dear boy." He said softly as he checked his pulse. He then tore Tony's shirt with his scissors, revealing his battered chest.  
  
Harris and Geller hissed. "Oh God."  
  
"Go and wait outside for the ambulance. Keep an eye out to see if there's any trace of that woman." Gibbs dismissed them. As much as those agents had helped him to find Tony and he was grateful for that, he didn't want them there at that moment. He knew Tony didn't want them to see him like that, especially if Ducky wanted to examine him for other kinds of injuries. They weren't family. They weren't allowed to see private moments.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
... TBC ...


	5. Chapter 5

"Good thinking, Jethro. I'm sure Anthony doesn't want the strangers to see him like this."  
  
"I'm not sure he wants _us_ to see him like this." Gibbs said ruefully. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"You mean besides getting shot twice and spending a long time without proper treatment?" Ducky asked rhetorically. "Right. Yes."  He added when Gibbs remained silent. "As you can see, he's been beaten hard. Sadly, over a long time, by the look of these bruises. I'm afraid his shoulder is in a bad shape. It seems like they had used that particular spot to hurt him the most. His leg is not as bad, but it needs medical attention as the bullet is still in there. And... He has clearly been sexually assaulted. I'm afraid."  
  
Gibbs closed his eyes. He was hoping not to the last part, ever. Damn; he had hoped it'd never get this far. But here he was, sitting beside his best agent, after he'd been raped and tortured, fighting for his life.  
  
"He's been shocked?" Gibbs nodded towards the burn signs on Tony's chest. The generator was still in the corner of the room.  
  
Ducky nodded in affirmation. "Unfortunately, yes. They did shock him. His heartbeat is irregular. But I can't say-"  
  
Tony's low moan interrupted Ducky. "Anthony! Dear boy, can you hear me?"  
  
"Du- ... Ducky?" He cracked his eyes open. "Wha.. What .. You do-.. doing here?" He panted.  
  
"We were on the road and decided to just stop by for a while. Why do you think we're here?" Gibbs hit him lightly on the head.  
  
"Jethro, he's heavily concussed. Don't hit him."  
  
"Y' see, Boss? Told ya it's not healthy to slap me."  
  
"Don't make me then. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like... Well, let me not say like what." He closed his eyes.  
  
"Open your eyes." Gibbs demanded.  
  
"Do you have to push that hard on my shoulder, Ducky? It's really killing me." Tony mumbled, still not opening his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry my boy, but I do have to push hard. I have to stop the bleeding. Now, you don't want to survive a night like that, and die on us now, do you?"  
  
Tony opened his eyes. "A night? It's been just one night?... Huh." He swallowed. "They injected me with something. He, Math, said he'd made it himself. I'm not sure what it was; I just can't move a muscle here."  
  
Ducky looked at Gibbs with concern. "We need to find out what he used."  
  
"Leave it to me." He stood up. "And you better be awake when I come back." He warned Tony before leaving.  
  
"Anthony, I'm not trying to scare you. But there's a chance that the reason that you can't move your muscles is not the drug. That impact to your head and neck-"  
  
"Ducky, it's not what you think. I can feel the pain and I can feel everything else. It started after they gave me that injection."  
  
Ducky sighed with relief. "Well then, my boy. That _is_ good news. Whatever it is, it'll be out of your system soon."  
  
Tony smiled and nodded. "I really need to... I can't fight it anymore, Ducky."  
  
"The paramedics will be here in no time. I think it's OK for you to rest a little. I'll answer Jethro. Don't worry, my dear boy."  
  
Tony murmured a thank you before drifting off.  
  
..

..  
  
Once Gibbs finally found the time to go to the hospital, Tony had already been out of surgery for two hours and Gibbs still had no idea what was really going on with him. Asking the nurse, he found his way to the ICU, where Ducky was waiting for him outside a room.  
  
"Hello, Jethro. Have you found the girl?"  
  
"Duck." Gibbs greeted. "Not yet. I interrogated Mathew Ryan. He has some serious mental issues; but he's a coward nevertheless; he gave up easily. He confessed to all five victims. We've put a BOLO on Juliet Ricks. How's Tony?"  
  
"As fine as he can be at the moment." Ducky sighed. "The bullet in his thigh was removed easily, but he needs crutches for a couple of weeks. Not that he can use them with his bad shoulder." He added. "His right arm was just grazed by the bullet. His left shoulder is another story, though; it might have not been so bad at first but during his stay with those people, he had received some blows that caused a hairline fracture to his clavicle and also had made the bullet move and tear some muscles. The wound was also slightly infected, which is the reason why Anthony is receiving antibiotics, right now. He's going to need physical therapy for that shoulder, but I assume that a full recovery is ahead of him." Ducky explained.  
  
"What about his head? Or his other injuries?" Gibbs asked, the image of the baseball bat connecting with Tony's head still fresh in his mind. He wasn't sure he could forget what he saw on that footage, anytime soon.  
  
"Yes, about that. He'd suffered a severe concussion. There's also a small fracture to his skull. He's under close attention and they're keeping an eye out for intracranial pressure, but his doctor believes that he'll be alright; especially since he was conscious and fairly coherent back at that house. Two of his ribs are broken, three others are cracked. The bruises and contusions will heal with minimal scaring. So will the burn marks on his chest and arm. Fortunately, the electric shocks to his body have left no permanent damage. He probably will suffer from sudden fatigue, for a while and the weakness might overcome him every now and then. But he's a very lucky young man. With his history of health crisis, even mild shocks could damage his heart, if they lasted long. And about the sexual assault, he's under proper medication to prevent any lasting effects of such a horrid action. But I'm more concerned about the psychological effects. Physically he'll be fine. Hopefully."  
  
"He'll bounce back. The drug?" Gibbs asked, irritated to hear the long list.  
  
"Ah, that was mostly muscle relaxant. Huge dose though. There were some other stuff, but the drug has already started to leave his system. Nothing to be worried about. It looks like that despite the gunshots; Anthony has been hard to break. I'd say that's why they tortured him more than the other victims."  
  
Gibbs smiled ruefully as he felt pride swelling inside his chest. But he wasn't sure whether he should feel that way or not. Tony's stubbornness could very well cost him his life one day. And that was what worried him. "Is he awake yet?"  
  
"It was touch and go for a few hours. You can go and see for yourself. He might wake up."  
  
"Thanks, Duck."  
  
"I care about him as much as you do, Jethro." Duck smiled warmly.  
  
Gibbs nodded. "Abby will be here in a while. And I'll stay tonight. You better go home."  
  
"I'll see you in the morning then. And, Jethro, if I may ask, has anyone told Timothy and Ziva about Tony?"  
  
Darkness filled Gibbs eyes. "I don't know. I have more important things to do than calling two careless brats and inform them about the situation. They'll find out once I've decided what I'm going to do with them."  
  
"And when will that be?"  
  
"Not now. I want to talk to Tony first. Besides, this is part of their punishment. I know they hate waiting."  
  
Ducky just nodded. Patting Gibbs on the shoulder, and left with no more words.  
  
...  
  
Gibbs stood at the door frame, assessing Tony. He was half seated in the bed with the blanket up to his stomach; bandages covered his head, left shoulder, right arm and upper torso. There were bruises on his face and neck and his left leg was on a cushion under the blanket.  
  
Gibbs walked in and put Tony's cellphone on the night stand. "What's going on, DiNozzo? Just one woman called for you this time."  
  
Tony opened his eyes at his voice, smiled and hid the fact that the mere thought of a woman sent a chill down his spine at the moment. "I've gotten older; you know that Boss. I don't date every woman I see, anymore."  
  
"Did you just admit that you got old?" Gibbs smiled lopsidedly.  
  
"Older. That's comparative Boss. I'm still young. Younger than you for sure."  
  
Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "I'm feeling that you're using your concussion to your advantage. Don't think that I won't slap you later for that."  
  
Tony smiled and closed his eyes. "You'll do it, anyway. I should use my chances while I can." He paused. "Boss? Umm... You've got them, right? Julie and Math."  
  
Gibbs' silence made him open his eyes, again. "We have Mathew Ryan. The girl has escaped. But we'll find her. I promise you."  
  
"You don't need to. I know you will." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep the pain at bay.  
  
Gibbs saw it.  
  
"Do you want me to call the nurse to give you something for the pain?"  
  
"No. It's OK. I'll just sleep for a while."  
  
"Take your time. You're not gonna have much of it when you get back to work."  
  
...  
  
Abby entered the room so quietly that Gibbs barely felt her presence before she reached the bed. He looked up to see that she was silently crying. Standing up, he went to her and pulled her in to a hug. "He's fine Abby. Every thing's going to be fine."  
  
"Not everything, Gibbs. He's been... He... You know what I want to say." She sobbed.  
  
Gibbs led her out of the room, not wanting their conversation to disturb Tony's rest. "I know, Abs. But if anyone can get through it, it'd be Tony."  
  
"What about the team? It's never gonna be the same again. How do you think he'll feel about it now? About being in the team after something like this?"  
  
"One problem at a time, Abby." Gibbs whispered. "We'll respect his decision, and I'm not gonna be the only one deciding about McGee and David. It's his call, as well."  
  
Abby nodded. "I still can't believe it; after so many things that we've been through together. Why? Why now? How could they? He's always had their backs; always been there for them. Why did they do something like that?"  
  
"I wish I knew, Abby. But think of it this way, they might have just forgotten how to take their job seriously. In that case, I'm gonna make sure that they'll start from the beginning. This time there will be no bonuses for them. "  
  
Abby smiled. "They'll be Probies, again. Tony will like it."  
  
He grinned. "I'm sure he will. _If_ he wants to work with them ever again. I understand if he doesn't." Gibbs has never been the type to sugarcoat things; he felt that Abby needed to be prepared.  
  
"You mean-... Oh my God... You think he might leave us?"  
  
"I don't know, Abby. But what happened to him is not something that you can walk away from easily. In this job you need to be able to trust your partner. And once you lose someone's trust, it's hard to get it back."  
  
"You have his back. Why can't he stay and live with that?" She frowned, acting like she was trying to stop Tony from leaving; something that he hadn't even thought about yet.  
  
"First of all, he hasn't left yet." Gibbs couldn't help but smile. "Second of all, I cannot always stay with him. There's always a time, when he has another partner."  
  
"But you did that before. Before anyone comes, you and Tony were working alone."  
  
"That was then, Abs. Things have changed. Besides, now that the team has grown, we can't always work together. We're the senior agents; we can't stick together and leave the probies or junior agents to find their own way."  
  
Abby grinned.  
  
"What?" He asked with raised eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing. I just somehow liked what you said." Gibbs frowned.  
  
"He'll stay. I know it, Gibbs. I'll make sure of it. We can't do it without him. Let's get inside and see him now." She was totally herself again.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
... TBC ...


	6. Chapter 6

With some great effort, Gibbs had finally managed to send Abby home. He sat by Tony's bedside, planning for the coming morning. He knew he couldn't stay there with Tony, but with Juliet still out there, he didn't want to leave him alone. The knock on the door got his attention. Looking up, he saw Ziva and McGee standing just outside the room. Quickly he rose to his feet and left the room, leading them to the waiting room.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked harshly.  
  
"I called Director Vance. He told me that Tony was found." Ziva explained.  
  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
  
"We're here to see him, Boss." McGee said in a low voice.  
  
"Gibbs, what we did was stupid, and we are sorry. But it does not mean that Tony is not our friend. We were just as worried as you were."  
  
"Yeah, right, Agent David. You proved it the other night. Forget about every protocol that you broke back there. I think you know that you broke a friendship." Gibbs shook his head. "I don't think he's ready to see you two. You should go now."  
  
"Gibbs, No. I do not know about McGee, but I am not leaving here until I talk to Tony and apologize."  
  
McGee nodded. "Me neither."  
  
"Maybe I didn't say it right. That wasn't a request, agent David. Get the hell out of here. You have to learn to face the consequences of your actions."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts. You're damn lucky I didn't fire you right away. Now it'll be Tony's decision, and whatever he says I'll respect it. If he says that he doesn't want to work with you two, then I don't wanna see you ever again."  
  
Ziva and McGee shared a look. "Will you at least call us when he is ready to see us? Please Gibbs."  
  
Gibbs turned his back. "I'll talk to him. Till then, I don't want to even hear from you."  
  
...  
  
It took another two days for Tony to finally be able to stay awake longer than ten minutes. Gibbs couldn't stay with him all the time, but somehow Abby, Ducky or even Palmer were with him most of the times when Gibbs wasn't there.  
  
Gibbs entered the room to find Tony playing with the remote control, surfing the channels. "Don't you get tired of daytime TV?"  
  
"Tired? I'm gonna throw up. But what else can I do?" He looked at Gibbs hopefully. "Hey Boss, maybe you could bring me some files, I can do paperwork."  
  
Gibbs pretended that he didn't hear him.  
  
Tony shrugged with his good shoulder and turned his gaze back to the TV. "It was worth a try."  
  
"Don't worry about paperwork, DiNozzo. You'll have a lot of it to do for at least another month."  
  
Tony turned off the TV and leaned back. "Any word on Julie?"  
  
"Not yet. She's probably hidden somewhere."  
  
Tony nodded his agreement. "I think she's halfway across the country by now."  
  
Gibbs stared at him for a few seconds, before suddenly articulating his thoughts. "Tony, you know I hate shrinks as much as you do, but maybe this time-"  
  
"Boss, I don't need to see a psychologist. I'm fine. We've been through worse." Tony interrupted.  
  
"It has never been like this."  
  
"Well, there's always a first time for everything." he grinned, even though he felt like anything but grinning.  
  
"DiNozzo." Gibbs growled.  
  
"Seriously, Boss. There's nothing a shrink can do for me. I just need to work things out my own way."  
  
"If you ever needed to talk-"  
  
"I know, Boss. Thanks." he paused. "Umm... There's actually one thing."  
  
Gibbs waited but Tony remained silent. "DiNozzo?"  
  
"It's... Uh... It's about... Well, you know... I..." He took a deep breath. "Where did I go wrong, Boss? I mean, with McGee and Ziva?"  
  
Gibbs sighed. He was hoping he could postpone that conversation. "I hate to say this aloud, but not everything is your fault, DiNozzo."  
  
"Can I record it?" Tony smiled tiredly. "Why then? They wouldn't do such a thing to anyone else." he added, no trace of that smile in his voice.  
  
Gibbs agreed. But he didn't know what to say, because he didn't know the reason of such a stupid action like that.  
  
"You think I've gone too far with my pranks?"  
  
"Are you sure you want me to answer that?" Gibbs smirked, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
To no avail, of course.  
  
When Tony's mind was set on something dark, not even headslaps could bring him back; so, Gibbs knew he needed to say something. "Tony, listen to me. Your pranks were never life threatening. If anything, most of the times they were useful to ease the tension."  
  
"Now I have to record it." Tony's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe I talk too much. If I was quiet, they wouldn't have turned the radio off."  
  
Gibbs frowned. "Like they don't talk nonstop? And just how do you know that they had turned the radio off? Did Abby tell you?"  
  
"No." Tony shrugged. "Well, I tried them a few times; when they didn't answer, I feared the worst. But those psychos seemed kinda worried about my arriving backup. So I realized that they weren't hurt, and since they had done it before, I figured they must have turned it off, again."  
  
"There has been another time?" Gibbs eyes widened. "And when was I supposed to hear about it?"  
  
"Never? It wasn't that important last time. Back then, I thought it was just a joke. I had no idea that they could be stupid enough to do it again; especially in a situation like that."  
  
"Every time that someone is on a backup assignment, they're doing an important job. No matter how serious it looks. If you had told me about it the first time, this might have never happened. You of all people should know that, Tony."  
  
"Oh, so that's my fault, now?" Tony straightened a little. "I know that perfectly and in case you've forgotten, I wasn't the one screwing up; not this time not back then. I'm not a 4 year old, Gibbs. I'm not gonna tell you every single thing that happens, when you're not around. Like I said, I trusted them more than that. I couldn't imagine that their problem with me was so serious." He paused. "I used to think of them as my friends. I thought their disrespectful manner and insubordination were just their way to make fun or... I don't know... I just always hoped it wasn't out of malice. All I've ever done was to help them, I might have teased them, but I just wanted to lighten the mood. Guess I was wrong. I must have hurt them. I-"  
  
Gibbs finally cut him off. "You say another word and I'll slap you so hard that you'll go back into a coma."  
  
"I've never been in a coma."  
  
"Well, I'll send you into one now."  
  
They were both silent for a while and that was nothing unusual between them.  
  
Gibbs broke it, though. "It wasn't your fault, Tony. The thing they did was stupid and careless and they'll pay for that. For that and for all insubordination you mentioned. But I want you to decide about it; it's your call. Vance has suspended them, and you and I will decide what should happen to them next. I think it's better if you let them speak. Maybe it's not like what you think. I'm not saying that that wasn't plain stupid. I'm angrier than you are. I just say that maybe they need something to remember how they're supposed to do a job like this... They've been here to see you before, but I didn't let them in. I wanted to ask you first."  
  
"Thanks. I... OK. I'll talk to them." It seemed like there was a force behind every word.  
  
"You don't have to, if you -"  
  
"No. It's OK. However, they probably will just say that they were tired of listening to my voice, or they may apologize and give me some lame excuses. And then I have to act like everything is fine and get back to the normal life, while I can't trust them ever again."  
  
"You can't work in the field if you can't trust your partner."  
  
Tony's head snapped up at that.  
  
"Don't get me wrong. I'm saying that you need to trust them, or I'll have to get rid of them. Vance can transfer them to another team. Or..." he smirked, causing Tony to give him a suspicious look. "Or they can start from the beginning; going through every detail, with you and me as the senior agents. And we won't go easy on them this time. They'll be treated exactly like probationary agents."  
  
"Ziva _is_ a probationary agent."  
  
"She's just carrying the name whenever you like to call her by that."  
  
Tony shrugged innocently.  
  
"That's just going to happen if you agree. Listen to them. If you thought this won't be enough and you can never trust them again, and I'm not talking about anytime soon; just someday, I know there's no way to trust them anytime soon; but if you think you can't ever trust them again, then we'll find another way. You and me know how to work alone. You know how to bear me just on your own." Gibbs slumped back in the chair.  
  
"Two Probies sounds good, though." Tony said.  
  
Even after everything that they'd seen recently, he didn't want his team to fall apart. And he knew perfectly well that Abby and Gibbs didn't want it either. They had worked too hard for what they had, or for what he thought they had. _'But maybe things would go better, this time.'_ He believed in second chances. He'd always given people a second chance and he didn't intend to stop now. If there was anything left to be fixed, he was determined to fix it. He would try his best to trust them again. It could take a long time, but he knew Gibbs would have his back till then. Like he always had. "I think it'll be worth it."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"You know, Boss, Now's the time for a beer. Long talks ask for one, at least." Tony grinned.  
  
"Or it's the time for me to start giving you headslaps."  
  
"I'm still concussed."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Skull fracture."  
  
"I'm not gonna hit you with a sledgehammer."  
  
"You've got no idea."  
  
"I'll go get a coffee. Tell me when you're ready to talk to McGee and Ziva. And-" Gibbs stood. "You better answer that girl." He nodded towards Tony's vibrating cell phone. "It's the hundredth time that she's tried your number and you're ignoring her."  
  
"I don't really want to talk to her." Tony declined the call.  
  
"Is this about Juliet?"  
  
"Kinda." Tony admitted quietly.  
  
"Then tell her something. Tell her you're busy for the next six months." Gibbs offered.  
  
"Not sure that's enough." He knew that the girl wouldn't wait six months to call back, but he couldn't help it.  
  
Gibbs stared at him. It was worse than he thought, but he could see that Tony would bounce back.  
  
"It'll give you the time to come up with something else."  
  
Tony smiled. "Hmm, yeah."  
  
"There's no need to push yourself too hard, Dinozzo."  
  
"I know. It's just... I wish I could get rid of her voice, it echoes in my ears, or... Whatever." He stopped.  
  
"It'll stop. You just need a distraction. I'm starting to think that bringing you some paperwork couldn't be that bad an idea." Gibbs smirked.  
  
"Or you could get me outta here and I'll come to the office to do that."  
  
"Don't push it."  
  
"Shutting up." Tony mustered a grin.  
  
Gibbs shook his head and left the room. Yes, things were going to be normal again. A different normal, maybe. But normal, anyway.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
-The End-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really wanted to change things and have those two thrown out of the team, at the very least! I don't know why I haven't done it in the first place; but since this story and its sequel have been published this way a long time ago and many of you have already read it, I decided against changing it now! Just know that I don't think those two deserve to be a part of the team after a stunt like that; it doesn't matter that they're still not forgiven; they just don't deserve to be given another chance if they'd done this!  
> I guess with time, I've become less forgiving, at least when it comes to the characters of my stories!
> 
> But well, this is how it is in some of my first fictions; and if you agree that Tony needs to be less forgiving, then things will get better in my later stories!


End file.
